Read Online Falling for Her Husband by Karen Erickson - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Erickson
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didn’t like weak women, and she was far from that. She even remembered him telling her that she was too strong-willed.
You think you can do whatever you want and I’m going to stand by and let you? You’re my wife, Amber. We belong together.
Huh. Where did that conversation come from?
“Let’s get you out of these clothes,” Vince said, tugging on the hem of her sweater. She lifted her arms dutifully, her mind elsewhere as she tried to recall the exact conversation when he would’ve said that to her. It sounded terribly macho and old-fashioned of him, to make such a broad statement.
She didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“It’s been so long,” he said on an exhale after he pulled her sweater up and over her head, tossing it on the floor without a care. He stared at her, his gaze drinking her in as she stood before him wearing just a simple black bra. “You still have bruises.”
His fingers pressed gently on her right shoulder, trailing to her collarbone. She winced, hating that she wasn’t perfect for him. “Do they look bad?”
“No.” He shook his head just as he bent and ran his lips along the length of her neck. “You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”
When he said it like that, with such complete reverence, she could believe him. “I’m scarred,” she whispered. And scared. Vince was so handsome. He worked in an industry where he was constantly surrounded by gorgeous, perfect women. What if he grew tired of her? Her arm may never heal properly. She may never have full capacity of it again the damage was so great.
And what about her face—what if all the plastic surgery in the world couldn’t hide her new scar? It was huge. She’d hardly looked at it in the mirror, but late at night, when worry nagged at her like a relentless beast, she touched her face, her fingers tracing the edge of the bandage. That bandage went on forever. Clear across her right cheek, practically the entire side of her face, from her ear to the corner of her mouth. She was ruined.
Ruined.
“Your scars don’t matter, bella ,” he whispered, his voice deepening with his accent. “I’m just so damn thankful you’re alive, standing here with me.”
His brutally honest words touched her heart so completely she felt tears form in the corner of her eyes. Her throat thickened with emotion and she swallowed hard, closing her eyes to fight off the well of tears that threatened to slide down her face at any given moment.
“You mean everything to me,” he continued, his accent still thick, which usually happened when his words were so raw. “I love you. When I thought I might lose you…I was beside myself.”
“Well, you can’t get rid of me if you tried. I’m here now.” She cracked open her eyes and rested her hand against his chest, her palm flat against the center. His heart beat a thunderous race beneath her touch and she curled her fingers into his shirt, suddenly eager to pull it off him. “And there’s no place I’d rather be.”
A hint of uncertainty appeared in his dark gaze and he bent his head, his eyes peering into hers. “Really? Do you mean that, Amber?”
She gaped at him, confused by his switch in moods. Her husband was rarely unsure. She honestly couldn’t remember ever see him look at her this way. He was always confident, assured, arrogant at times but then sweet and thoughtful too.
“Of course I mean it. I couldn’t wait to come home. I was so tired of being cooped up in the hospital when all I wanted was to be with you,” she admitted.
He crushed her to him, careful of her arm, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pressed her close. She nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck, breathing deep his warm, familiar scent and she closed her eyes, her head buzzing at being so close to him, so completely enveloped in his embrace. “I missed you too. So much I felt a part of me was gone while you lay in that hospital bed. Promise you’ll never leave me again.”
“I-I
You think you can do whatever you want and I’m going to stand by and let you? You’re my wife, Amber. We belong together.
Huh. Where did that conversation come from?
“Let’s get you out of these clothes,” Vince said, tugging on the hem of her sweater. She lifted her arms dutifully, her mind elsewhere as she tried to recall the exact conversation when he would’ve said that to her. It sounded terribly macho and old-fashioned of him, to make such a broad statement.
She didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“It’s been so long,” he said on an exhale after he pulled her sweater up and over her head, tossing it on the floor without a care. He stared at her, his gaze drinking her in as she stood before him wearing just a simple black bra. “You still have bruises.”
His fingers pressed gently on her right shoulder, trailing to her collarbone. She winced, hating that she wasn’t perfect for him. “Do they look bad?”
“No.” He shook his head just as he bent and ran his lips along the length of her neck. “You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”
When he said it like that, with such complete reverence, she could believe him. “I’m scarred,” she whispered. And scared. Vince was so handsome. He worked in an industry where he was constantly surrounded by gorgeous, perfect women. What if he grew tired of her? Her arm may never heal properly. She may never have full capacity of it again the damage was so great.
And what about her face—what if all the plastic surgery in the world couldn’t hide her new scar? It was huge. She’d hardly looked at it in the mirror, but late at night, when worry nagged at her like a relentless beast, she touched her face, her fingers tracing the edge of the bandage. That bandage went on forever. Clear across her right cheek, practically the entire side of her face, from her ear to the corner of her mouth. She was ruined.
Ruined.
“Your scars don’t matter, bella ,” he whispered, his voice deepening with his accent. “I’m just so damn thankful you’re alive, standing here with me.”
His brutally honest words touched her heart so completely she felt tears form in the corner of her eyes. Her throat thickened with emotion and she swallowed hard, closing her eyes to fight off the well of tears that threatened to slide down her face at any given moment.
“You mean everything to me,” he continued, his accent still thick, which usually happened when his words were so raw. “I love you. When I thought I might lose you…I was beside myself.”
“Well, you can’t get rid of me if you tried. I’m here now.” She cracked open her eyes and rested her hand against his chest, her palm flat against the center. His heart beat a thunderous race beneath her touch and she curled her fingers into his shirt, suddenly eager to pull it off him. “And there’s no place I’d rather be.”
A hint of uncertainty appeared in his dark gaze and he bent his head, his eyes peering into hers. “Really? Do you mean that, Amber?”
She gaped at him, confused by his switch in moods. Her husband was rarely unsure. She honestly couldn’t remember ever see him look at her this way. He was always confident, assured, arrogant at times but then sweet and thoughtful too.
“Of course I mean it. I couldn’t wait to come home. I was so tired of being cooped up in the hospital when all I wanted was to be with you,” she admitted.
He crushed her to him, careful of her arm, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pressed her close. She nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck, breathing deep his warm, familiar scent and she closed her eyes, her head buzzing at being so close to him, so completely enveloped in his embrace. “I missed you too. So much I felt a part of me was gone while you lay in that hospital bed. Promise you’ll never leave me again.”
“I-I
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